The 21-year-old qualifier went into the match on the back of seven titles this year on the satellite ITF Tour, five of them on clay, but he found the 17-time Grand Slam champion an altogether different test.

Federer raced into a 4-0 lead and was broken just once as he began his bid for a second French Open title with victory in one hour and 20 minutes.

Match stats

Williams

Tatishvili

8

Aces

0

73%

1st serves

58%

1

Double faults

3

27

Winners

4

14

Errors

22

88%

1st serve win %

42%

78%

2nd serve win %

32%

5/11

Break points

0/0

"I thought it was a good match for me," said Federer, who will play India's Somdev Devvarman in the second round.

"He's played that many matches and won a lot this year - that really helps your confidence - and he's played a lot of matches on clay, in comparison with me.

"I knew it could be tricky if I don't sustain a certain level of play and certain aggressiveness, get caught up maybe in long rallies, maybe what he's looking for."

The American, 31, has admitted that loss was a huge blow which sparked a stunning run of form as she won
Wimbledon,the Olympics,the US Open
and this year has racked up a career-best winning run of 25 matches.

Tatishvili became the latest victim in the most brutal fashion, taking 33 minutes to get on the scoreboard as Williams dominated in all areas.

A screaming backhand winner gave Williams an eighth straight game and the fist pump that followed showed just how much winning a second French Open title,
11 years after her first,
is motivating her.

Tatishvili, who has won just two matches in 2013, did at least slow the top seed's progress in the second set but Williams completed the job well short of the hour mark.

Moving superbly and still unbeaten on the clay this year, the 15-time Grand Slam champion then impressed the crowd with her French in the post-match interview - rarely has she looked so comfortable in Paris.

"I was definitely nervous," she said afterwards.

"I have to say I'm always a little nervous going into first-round matches at Slams, but this time I wasn't as nervous as I was previously or in other Grand Slams.

"But for the most part I felt pretty safe and felt good about my game, and that if I can just do what I do in practice, I'll be OK."

Williams next plays 19-year-old Caroline Garcia of France, described by Andy Murray as a future world number one after he watched her take a set off Maria Sharapova at the 2011 French Open.

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